I'll Take Romance/Love Is A Season

This two-fer assembles a pair of Eydie Gorme's earliest and finest efforts for the Paramount label. Her self-titled 1957 debut introduces a singer who exists somewhere between pop and jazz. Already a skilled interpreter of the Great American Songbook thanks to her three-year stint on the Steve Allen-hosted incarnation of television's The Tonight Show, Gorme reveals the full breadth of her talents here, teaming with arranger Don Costa for an uncommonly thoughtful set that's traditional in its form and content yet fearless in its approach. Gorme and Costa mix and match styles, moods, and eras to create a mature, richly appointed sound that's both innovative and timeless. The singer fully inhabits songs as diverse as "I'll Take Romance," "The Gentleman Is a Dope," and "Guess Who I Saw Today," shifting from ebullience to sass to melancholy with astonishing clarity and depth. A song cycle that spans from "The Things We Did Last Summer" to "Winter Night" and back again, 1958's Love Is a Season transcends the novelty parameters of its concept to emerge as one of Gorme's most rewarding albums. Even if the basic idea behind the session is a bit familiar and trite, few other singers who've tackled the seasonal theme have possessed the sheer scope of Gorme's talents. She's as comfortable and compelling on material like "September Song" as she is with "Easter Parade," shifting effortlessly from pop effervescence to torch song melancholy. Costa's jazzy arrangements are no less vital to the album's success, perfectly pinpointing the music's seasonal settings but never succumbing to clichés. ~ Jason Ankeny|